Bemidji: Family says slain hunter was strict about safety

BEMIDJI, Minn. -- The daughter of a deer hunter shot and killed during Minnesota's firearm opener says her father was insistent upon firearms safety and raised his family to be careful hunters.

Nikki Bixby tells the Bemidji Pioneer that her father, 66-year-old Don Bixby, was killed Saturday. The former logger had missed recent deer seasons due to health issues, and was out this year with a handicap permit.

Nikki Bixby says she's still getting details about her dad's death. She said he was standing next to a pickup truck when he was hit on public land about nine miles northeast of Bemidji.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office says the other hunter who shot Bixby is from Bemidji, and the two men are acquaintances but were not hunting together. Authorities are investigating.